Dressed to Impress
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: It's Valentine's Day, and while he's no fan of the holiday, Cedric wants to do something nice for Sofia, who's seemed a little distant recently. He asks Amber for ideas, and the other princess suggests something he never could have seen coming. (Artwork by MarionetteJ2X; story idea by Mr. Shortman92)


Dressed to Impress

Summary: It's Valentine's Day, and while he's no fan of the holiday, Cedric wants to do something nice for Sofia, who's seemed a little distant recently. He asks Amber for ideas, and the other princess suggests something he never could have seen coming. (Artwork by MarionetteJ2X; story idea by Mr. Shortman92)

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: Well, between MarionetteJ2X creating the original image in the cover photo and Mr. Shortman92 making a suggestion about a Valentine's Day special, this story came together utilizing both of their ideas and creativity. I just love the things you all come up with! 😊 Hope you enjoy, especially MarionetteJ2X and Mr. Shortman92!

Note: There are references in here to my (admittedly super old, lol) stories "Why Purple?" and "Dressed in Gold." Just wanted to throw that out there! 😉 Also, I apologize for the mushy stuff in here. What do you expect with a Valentine's Day story? Lol. That being said, I hope you enjoy. Beware the fluff! :p It's coming your way! 😊

*Story*

"Oh, how I _loathe_ this day," Cedric grumbled to his apprentice, who was dutifully pouring different ingredients into a beaker to create a potion they'd been working on. "I swear if I see one more pink heart or another overly-intricate box of chocolates—likely not even the _good_ kind either…" He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Mm-hmm." Sofia didn't seem to be paying him any mind as she focused on her task.

"Valentine's Day to me is just another excuse for people to act cheesy and be more annoyingly gushy than usual. There, I said it."

"You say the same thing every year, Mr. Cedric." Strangely enough, her voice didn't convey any humor or any actual emotion whatsoever. It was very matter-of-fact, something unusual for the normally optimistic and outgoing princess.

And of course, he noticed. "Sofia? Are you all right?" He blinked as she looked up at him. "You'd normally chide me for being pessimistic and tease me about secretly liking the holiday. What on earth is wrong with you, my dear? I rather miss my verbal sparring partner."

With that statement, the girl just smiled tiredly. "She's still in here somewhere… I'm sorry, Mr. Cedric. I guess I'm just tired. This semester has been really…challenging."

"Hmm. I imagine. You're having to make difficult decisions, sidestep these utterly ridiculous hurdles with the likes of villainous people and such, and go about your everyday life." He realized his words didn't seem to alleviate her exasperated look, as evidenced by the pathetic pout she was currently directing toward him. He grinned sheepishly. "I'm just…making things worse, aren't I?"

Sofia sighed and shook her head before pushing the completed potion toward her friend. "It's all right, Mr. Cedric. I can handle anything. I'm Sofia." She smiled gently before sliding down to the floor. "I'm going to go work on some homework. I'll see you later." With that, she trudged out of his workshop, shutting the door carefully behind her.

The sorcerer tilted his head. Something was definitely not okay with his apprentice. There was typical school exhaustion, of course, coupled with her princess duties. But this tiredness had to have something to do with all the recent events. He knew she was exhausted physically and mentally from all the wicked challenges she'd been forced to face, especially recently with that strange woman she had encountered when they had sought out Wormwood and Grimhilde's crown.

Cedric frowned heavily. Even the thought of the raven's name dampened his mood, but he wasn't about to ponder over that too much. He'd deal with Wormwood later. Right now, the princess was his main priority, and she obviously needed his help. Or maybe she just needed some cheering up… "Hmm… I could certainly use some insight, though. What would make her feel better? Who would even know?" He glanced up when he heard a knock on his door. "Come in!"

Amber walked inside and folded her arms as she stood before the sorcerer. "Cedric."

He blinked. Well, _that_ was an unexpected alternative to 'hello.' "Um… Princess Amber?" He slowly approached her before stopping as he realized she hadn't budged from her spot. "Is everything all right?"

"What did you say to Sofia?" She noticed his brown eyes widen in slight surprise. "She's moping around the castle now, and I _know_ I just saw her coming from here. Out with it."

"I-I-I didn't say anything hurtful to her!" he stammered, alarmed to hear of his friend's current state. "She was already sort of down when she was working with me earlier. I was trying to cheer her up, but nothing seemed to work…and then she left." He lowered his head. "Believe me, Princess Amber. I want to know what is wrong with your sister just as much as you do."

"Hmm." She sighed and nodded, unfolding her arms and placing her hands on her hips instead. "She's honestly becoming such a serious person. She looks like she's carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, and she almost looks like she could break if you just _breathe_ in her direction."

"Now that you mention it, I've noticed that… I know she's very strong and determined, but there's only so much she can handle, and I'm somewhat scared that she'll eventually overdo it." He sighed. "I just wish I could cheer her up somehow…"

Amber made a humming sound before glancing toward the sorcerer curiously. "Maybe we could take her mind off of things for a while—give her something positive to focus on."

" _We_?"

"We could do something nice for her; it's Valentine's Day, after all! Today is the _best_ day to give something thoughtful to people you care about."

"I'm sorry, Princess Amber," Cedric interrupted as he gestured vaguely, "is there something you're wanting _my_ help with?"

"Of course!" She smiled. "You and I are going to get something meaningful for Sofia today: something to ease her worries, even if only for a day."

"A-All right…" He clapped his hands together once and said, "It would actually be nice to do something kind for her today. What exactly do you have in mind?"

Slowly, a smile formed on the blonde girl's face. She hurried up to Cedric and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the stairwell as she explained: "Do you remember what you did with that dress my mother created for me when I was little?" She eyed him as they reached the midpoint of the stairs, seeing that he appeared to be catching on. "You put a stretching spell on it, right?" Seeing him nod, she smiled. "Sofia has a dress that's just as meaningful to her as my dress is to me."

"I recall. She told me about it a few years ago… The dress her father had made for her, correct?"

"Yeah." She released his hand as they reached the bottom of the tower. "Maybe you could put a spell on it so that it has the same properties as mine. I'm sure she'd like that, especially if it means she can wear something from her father for a change. Of course, a few modifications won't hurt either."

"Mod…ifications…" He made a face at the word. "I'm not entirely sure Sofia would want her childhood dress altered in that manner without her permission, Princess Amber."

"Hmm, good point." She grinned. "Well, then. We'll just have to make her one from scratch too!"

"I'm sorry, but your plan isn't exactly comforting right now, Princess. I'd love nothing more than to cheer your sister up, but…it seems like an awful lot of work to do in such a limited amount of time. Never mind casting a spell on a dress, but creating a new one from the ground up?"

Amber folded her arms. "Cedric, do you care about Sofia?"

He blinked, surprised by the question. "O-Of course I do."

"Then have some confidence in yourself, okay? I'll go get her childhood dress and pick up some of the fabric I was going to send to the seamstress for my own new gown. Meet me in the ballroom. No one should be in there today, so we can work in there." She took off toward Sofia's room, leaving a very perplexed Cedric behind.

Sure, he wanted to help his apprentice feel better, but he wasn't entirely certain Amber's plan was going to work. After all, it was already early afternoon, so they had little time to waste. He began walking toward the ballroom when he quite literally ran into an unsuspecting Sofia. He blinked, startled.

"Sorry, Mr. Cedric," she murmured as she glanced sleepily up at him before giggling. "Heh… Isn't that kind of how we first interacted? Me bumping into you?" She smiled. "I guess some things never change."

He chuckled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'd hope not." He frowned as she maneuvered her way around him, beginning to walk by. "Where are you heading?"

"Back to my room. I was starting to work on my homework, but James needed my help with something. So now I need to get back to it."

"N-No!" He blinked as she looked toward him with a curious stare. "I mean… It's such a nice day outside, it would be a shame to let it go to waste." He smiled toward her as she tilted her head. "What do you say to a picnic?"

"Just you and me?" She smiled as he nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, Mr. Cedric. That might be fun, actually."

"Yes, yes, of course. Come along!" He ushered her toward the door and glanced over his shoulder just as Amber was hurrying back in their direction. He gestured silently toward the other princess and back in the blonde's direction.

Amber rolled her eyes and sighed heavily before blinking as a magical paper ball was hurled her way. She opened it and read it. " _I'll meet you in the ballroom in half an hour_." She huffed. "You'd better, Cedric." With that, she took off toward the ballroom.

Outside at the base of the steps leading to the castle, Cedric used his wand to create a small picnic, complete with checkered blanket and an overflowing basket of goodies. He gestured toward it, smiling as Sofia beamed and sat down on the comfortable blanket.

"This is amazing," Sofia gushed as Cedric sat next to her. "But…you didn't have to do all this for me, Mr. Cedric."

"Are you kidding? You more than deserve it, after everything _you've_ done for _me_." He passed her a plate of goodies, smiling gently as she accepted it. "Now… I only have one request of you."

Sofia blinked before lowering the plate to her lap and nodding.

"Please take care of yourself, Sofia…"

She frowned. "Mr. Cedric…"

"I'm not oblivious to what's going on, my dear. I know there's more than school on your mind, and I know you always try to carry your burdens alone. Just know that you don't have to." He reached into the basket and withdrew a small plush bunny, handing it to her.

Sofia smiled at the thoughtful gift as she cuddled it closely. "Thank you, Mr. Cedric. And…I appreciate your concern. I'll be all right. And I'll come to you if I feel I need help; I promise."

He nodded and gathered his own plate of food. He figured that was about as much as he was going to get out of his friend for now. If she chose to hold onto whatever secret she was protecting, it was not his place to interfere. He knew she was true to her word; she'd seek him out if she really needed him.

They ate in relative silence for a few minutes before the sorcerer suddenly stood.

"Where are you going?" Sofia asked, her face betraying her disappointment that he seemed to be leaving when they were spending some much-needed quality time together.

"Not to worry. I'll be back soon." He smiled. "I promise." Before she could say anything else, he hurried back into the castle.

Sofia sighed and glanced down at the toy bunny, which innocently gazed back at her with unblinking eyes. "I wish I could tell him," she murmured. "But I don't want him getting hurt…or in any more danger than usual." She lowered her head and clutched the toy tighter as if holding on for dear life. "Mr. Cedric…"

"Cedric!" Amber sang playfully as the sorcerer entered the ballroom and shut the doors behind him. "Glad you could join me. Here." She shoved a bunch of fabric into his hands. "Make some magic happen."

Cedric sputtered at the absurd request before shaking his head. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, Princess Amber. I'd kind of need some sort of _vision_ before I make this dress for your sister. Besides, first thing's first: let's enchant her old dress, shall we?"

"Oh, right! Hang on." Amber turned and grabbed the beautiful yet humble purple dress a four-year-old Sofia had once worn, and she smiled when she saw the look on the sorcerer's face. "Pretty, isn't it?"

He faltered a bit before nodding. "I'm just…trying to picture your sister wearing that when she was a little girl. She asks for so little, even now…"

"Cedric, focus. Don't go all sentimental on me now. Save that for later, okay?" She grinned as he cleared his throat and nodded, shifting the fabric to his left arm and holding up his wand with his right hand.

With some carefully-spoken words, Cedric watched as the magic flowed from his wand, encasing Sofia's childhood dress in an array of magical colors. The dress itself was not altered in any way, out of respect for his apprentice and her father. Instead, it now had the ability to fit her, no matter how much she grew. He hoped beyond hope that she would like it…

"All right! Now let's get to the hard part." Amber took the older dress and folded it neatly before placing it into a fancy gift box. "Okay, so Sofia's going through this whole purple-and-magenta-slash-pink phase here recently…"

Cedric raised an eyebrow at the blonde. "She is?"

"Of course she is. Pay attention, Cedric. You see her every day. You didn't notice?" She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I think it's best to incorporate both colors and give her something that could help her better transition into her upcoming teen years." She shuddered. "Honestly, Cedric, I think a teen Sofia is going to be scary."

He laughed. "Why do you say that?"

She gave him a deadpanned look. "Boy, are you in for a surprise… Just trust me. You think _I'm_ moody sometimes? Hahaha! You have no idea what you're in for…" She grinned as the sorcerer stared at her with a quizzical expression. "Never mind. All right, I have a few ideas…"

So they sat and discussed some ideas for a little bit. Amber drew out her design ideas, and Cedric nodded at each suggestion. He made a few suggestions of his own, including some purple sparkles in the majority-pink-themed dress Amber had designed. "Sofia wouldn't be Sofia without at least _some_ purple," he'd remarked, to which the older princess had concurred.

Not long after that, Cedric used his wand to craft the elegant dress they'd designed, the fabric gathering and fastening where it was needed. The color scheme was remarkable, albeit different for the young princess. However, given that it was a special occasion (Valentine's Day, at that), he figured a change in the spectrum couldn't hurt this once. Ultimately satisfied with what they'd created, Amber carefully added the dress to the box with the other one and smiled up at the sorcerer.

"Nice job, Cedric," she complimented. "I know the usual saying is that you and Sofia make a great team, but you've got to admit." She winked. "You and I work pretty well together too!"

He chuckled. "That we do, Princess Amber." He then gasped. "Oh, Merlin… I just realized I told Sofia I'd be back soon… It must have been at least an hour that I've been gone."

"I'm sure she's fine."

His face fell. "She looked so disappointed. She was hugging that blasted stuffed bunny I'd conjured for her when I left."

Amber sighed. "Aw, poor Sofia… She probably thinks you abandoned her."

"I _did_!" He frowned when she laughed and picked up the box. "It isn't funny, Princess Amber. Sofia's been a bit…down here lately. I'd hate to add insult to injury, so to speak."

"Relax, Cedric. Sofia's tougher than she looks. Besides, this right here—" She gestured toward the box with the dresses in it. "—This is going to make her day, if not her year. Trust me. Now come on!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him along.

Outside, Sofia sat and picked at the leftover cake on her plate with her fork. She sighed heavily. "I wonder what's taking Mr. Cedric so long…" She glanced down at the bunny nestled against her left arm and smiled thoughtfully. "At least _something_ good came out of this holiday…" She blinked when she felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned to see Amber beaming down at her. "Amber?" She then glanced over and smiled in relief. "Mr. Cedric? What are you guys doing?"

"You're about to find out!" Amber sang as she removed the plate of cake from her sister's hands and set it on the picnic blanket; she then removed the stuffed bunny from Sofia's arms before pulling the younger girl to her feet. "All right, Sofia. I know you're not always much for Valentine's Day, but Cedric and I thought it would be nice to do something for you today." She squeezed her hands gently. "You do so much for others and ask so little, so I think you more than deserve this. Of course, none of this would have been possible without Cedric."

The auburn-haired princess blinked. Her mentor and her sister worked together on something…for _her_? "You guys…" She smiled as Amber handed her the gift before ushering her to the steps to have her sit down. When she opened the box, she pulled out a very familiar purple dress first. She blinked in confusion. "This is the dress my dad made for me…"

"But now, thanks to Cedric, it has a stretching spell on it." Amber smiled as Sofia gaped at her. "Meaning you can wear it again if you want to. It will adjust to you, no matter how much older you get."

Sofia smiled happily, which was a relief to Cedric (especially since he didn't know how she'd like Amber taking it without her knowledge). "That's actually really neat and very sweet! Thanks, you guys."

Cedric nodded. "There's…something more in there, Sofia."

She pulled out yet another dress, but her eyes lit up at the sight of it. It was brand new, and it was absolutely perfect for the present holiday. The main part of the dress faded from dark pink to light, the gathered sleeves matching the darker pink shade. The petticoat was a dark maroon color with tiny purple sparkles that seemed to be embedded into the fabric. What really caught the girl's eye was the intricate heart-shaped design near the bottom, along with the familiar floral pattern that had been on her previous princess dress (as well as her more current one). Several other beautiful designs were scattered throughout the dress, matching many of her other familiar patterns. Lastly, at the front of each sleeve was a little green accent to finish off the new dress.

"Do… Do you like it?" Cedric asked gently, noticing that Sofia seemed to be observing every little detail. He blinked when she turned her eyes toward him.

Sofia carefully lowered the dress onto the box so as not to ruin it and then stood, but she was unable to stop the tears from coming to her eyes. Before either knew what was happening, she'd begun crying.

"Oh, Sofia," Amber cooed, reaching forward and hugging the younger girl, caressing her hair as she sobbed. "Sofia, what's wrong? Don't cry."

This was really baffling to Cedric. He was _not_ expecting such a reaction. Was the girl really that emotional? "Sofia?"

Finally gathering herself, Sofia backed out of Amber's hug and smiled at them, her tears still glistening in her eyes. "You guys…are amazing. I don't know what I did to deserve you both." She hugged her sister tightly again before moving to Cedric and doing the same.

Cedric smiled and returned the hug, gently caressing her hair to cease her continued crying. "Sofia, I think you've got it all wrong. Truly, _we're_ the lucky ones."

"He's right," Amber agreed. "You kind of work like glue for this dysfunctional family." She laughed. "You brought us all together."

Sofia giggled in appreciation. "Thanks, Amber."

"Would you like to try it on?" Cedric asked, chuckling as his apprentice nodded enthusiastically. "Very well. Stand over there." He gestured a few feet away, and he gathered his wand as she did as he asked. " _Vestio_."

Sofia smiled as the dress appeared on her and her hair swept into a ponytail, the base of which was accented by an emerald tiara. She giggled and twirled around, admiring the fabric as it swirled around her. "This is the most ah-mazing dress ever!"

Amber laughed. "I'm glad you like it so much." She smiled as she got another hug from her younger sister. "Oh, Sofia…" She giggled. "All right, I'm heading back inside. You two have fun. I'll see you both later." With that, she left.

"Mr. Cedric…"

Cedric glanced toward Sofia, blinking as she took his hand.

"We didn't get to finish our picnic."

He chuckled. "It appears the food is all gone, though…"

"I don't care. I just wanted to spend time with you anyway." She smiled. "I know you don't like Valentine's Day, but if you want, we can be each other's Non-Valentines. Ooh! We can be Best-Friend-Tines! How does that sound?"

Cedric smiled and nodded. "I think I can handle that. In that case, Happy Best-Friend-Tine's Day, Sofia."

She laughed and hugged him. "Happy Best-Friend-Tine's Day, Mr. Cedric!"

The end


End file.
